Vermont health officials say they support the use of dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay in children, despite a recent Pew Center on the States report that gave the state poor marks.
The report gave Vermont a C grade for its sealant program in 2012, although recent data show the state far exceeds the national average in the number of third-graders who have at least one sealant, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
Some 64% of third-graders in Vermont had dental sealants in 2009-2010, but the data were not available in time to be included in the Pew report, state officials noted.
Vermont promotes the use of sealants through its Tooth Tutor Dental Access Program, which links school children who have not received dental care in the past year with local dental offices where they can receive comprehensive dental care, including sealants.
The Pew report found that 40% of all U.S. states earned either a D or F grade when it comes to providing children with dental sealants, thereby missing a key opportunity to help prevent caries and reduce Medicaid and other health-related costs.
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